Miraj diversifies into corrugation

Established as a manufacturer of office stationery in 2001, Udaipur-based Miraj Multicolour forayed into packaging-printing in 2013. Now, the company has inaugurated a brand-new corrugation plant with a vision to offer sustainable packaging solutions. KG Sharma of Miraj Multicolour shares the details with Rahul Kumar

The reason behind setting up the new corrugation plant is simple. The company wants to offer sustainable, paper-based packaging – and corrugation is the best option in doing so. KG Sharma, director, Miraj Multicolour, says, “Packaging solutions are in demand, especially when it comes to sustainable and paper-based packaging. Corrugation, being one of the best and easily available sustainable packaging options, sees huge demand.”

He adds, “We were consuming corrugated products for our in-house requirements on a low scale earlier. Now, with the new fully dedicated corrugation plant, we can serve others as well.

Best in class plant
According to Sharma, the best part of the plant is that it can manufacture both primary and secondary packaging. The plant is equipped with the latest tailor-made equipment for Indian requirements. “We can produce A, B, C, E & F-flute independently and in a combination of flute sizes. Our total capacity is 3,000-mt per month. Right now, we are producing 500-mt,” he adds.

European equipment for a corrugation plant, especially for a new entrant, is not always viable. Thus, the company has opted for a mix of kit, which includes Chinese, European, and Indian equipment. Being based in Udaipur, Miraj has a geographical advantage —Gujarat and Haryana, two industrial states, plus Madhya Pradesh, in close proximity. “Thus, we can tap the markets in four states – Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan, our home state and Madhya Pradesh. Delhi-NCR and Maharashtra are at the equal distance, around 700-km. We are working to serve customers in these states too. Hopefully, we have some mechanism to reach those geographies. But right now, we are trying to serve customers within the radius of 500-600-kms from our plant in Udaipur,” Sharma explains.

Miraj is eying a geographical expansion with packaging and printing production plants at multiple locations

The journey of Miraj
Under the leadership of KG Sharma, Miraj Multicolour started its operations in 2001, as a manufacturer of office stationery, offering a range of products such as spiral books, double-ruled paper, practical notebooks, pocket memo, etc. The company offers commercial print services from pre-press to post-press. It is a leader in print collaterals like corporate brochures, catalogues, mono cartons, leaflets, danglers, FMCG and pharma packaging products, annual reports, calendars, exercise books and so on.

In 2011, the company commissioned its first fully automatic exercise book production machine Alpha RF from ECH Will, which was later upgraded to double reel. It converts 28 tonnes of paper per day.
In 2013, the company forayed into packaging-printing with a 1,50,000-sqft plant in Udaipur. It has the distinction of being the first packaging plant in Rajasthan to house fully equipped German machines, including a five-colour Heidelberg CD102 printing press, a Bobst Novacut 106 and Visionfold 110A2. Recently, the company doubled its mono cartons business.  

Today, the company has a capacity for producing 3,50,000 notebooks and 20–25 lakh packaging boxes per day. The company credits its success to its employees who work 24x7 to offer total satisfaction to the customers.

The Miraj Multicolor team

A foothold in corrugation
Sharma says the new corrugation plant has a mix of equipment because the market is cut-throat and price-sensitive. The 750,000-sqft constructed plant is equipped with a Chinese corrugation line, FFG and a Bobst folder-gluer, besides other Indian and Chinese equipment.

The five-ply automatic corrugation line can produce 3,000 mt of corrugated reels/sheets at a speed of 220 metres per minute. “On this machine, we can produce three-ply corrugated sheets and boxes too. The decal size of the corrugation line is 2,200-mm. This enables us to serve multiple segments. We can make three and five-ply corrugated boxes with the same or different flute sizes,” Sharma says.

Sharma sees a huge opportunity in corrugation because it is required by each and every industry. The company also wants to work with MNCs and international brands. It has some experience in this area. It exported more than 20% of its mono carton products last year. The industry is growing at 14-15% EBITDA and Sharma says the company is working to match the pace.

Sharma says, “We found that approaching a customer in corrugation is easy as compared to other segments. In our estimate, the corrugation plant will double the business of our packaging and printing segment. Right now, we do Rs 180-crore business in mono cartons, rigid boxes and stationery. We are expecting Rs 100-crore business in corrugation in the next 24 months”  

The Miraj way
Miraj believes in its tagline, Aapka vishwas hamari pehchan (your trust, our identity). Sharma says the company will implement this mantra in its corrugation business as well. “If a customer entrusts Miraj Group with a job, then you can be confident that it will get done to the utmost satisfaction.” The new corrugation plant is a green plant. It has a 500-kw solar power system and a water treatment plant.  

Looking ahead, Miraj is eying a geographical expansion with packaging and printing production plants at multiple locations.